When you go on a trip, you have so many things to take care of pre good times - plan the trip, have someone pick up the mail, choose the destination and the itinerary, clean the house (or is that just me?!), get someone to water the plants, etc. = pre-holiday stress
During the trip, you focus on relaxing, seeing cool things, spending time with family/friends/self, forgetting about work, etc. = unstressing
But did you know that there is also post-vacay stress?! You know, showing pictures of the cool places you have seen, sharing gifts and stories, glowing since you relaxed so much, etc. etc. etc. And it seems that people want to see, hear, get everything the soonest possible... = post-vacation stress!
Where has all the patience gone? Remember the days when you had to wait a week or two to get all your pictures back from your favorite pharmacy/development center?! What did you do then?
What I did upon the return of my trip to Kenya is that I chose a few shots to share with my family and colleagues until I prepped the shots for Facebook, photo book, my cube, etc. Ok. 136 aren't a few but you catch my drift...
Take your time to share your experiences on your own time. Breathe. Keep your vacation glow. Remember that most stresses are in your mind but that pre-, during and/or post-vacation strategies help... What's yours?!
Wednesday, November 02, 2011
Saturday, September 10, 2011
The Food Analogies
A while back, during a meeting at work, a colleague explained a concept to me. I am smart (and I have a great sense of imagination) but I didn't get what he tried to explain....
I think that I have been practicing my understanding of abstract things extensively since then (through work and other activities) but at the time, I was starting to train my mind to think that way...
So my colleague was persistent for me to understand what he was explaining so he used food to explain his concept.
And I got it...
Yes I love food and believe that one lives to eat. It is such a pleasure to have various flavors married in a dish that you have never tried... Or to try a new cuisine, dessert, recipe, etc.
I think that I understood because I could relate to what he was trying to say. And I think that is how we must explain matters - in a way for your audience to get it.
In my case, it was about food, but someone else, it could be sports analogies or animals, nature, fashion, art, etc.
So next you try to explain something to someone, be empathetic! Put yourself in the person's shoes and creatively describe something using an example they can relate to...
I think that I have been practicing my understanding of abstract things extensively since then (through work and other activities) but at the time, I was starting to train my mind to think that way...
So my colleague was persistent for me to understand what he was explaining so he used food to explain his concept.
And I got it...
Yes I love food and believe that one lives to eat. It is such a pleasure to have various flavors married in a dish that you have never tried... Or to try a new cuisine, dessert, recipe, etc.
I think that I understood because I could relate to what he was trying to say. And I think that is how we must explain matters - in a way for your audience to get it.
In my case, it was about food, but someone else, it could be sports analogies or animals, nature, fashion, art, etc.
So next you try to explain something to someone, be empathetic! Put yourself in the person's shoes and creatively describe something using an example they can relate to...
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Lounging in Lamu
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| Sunset in Lamu Aboard Capt. Dolphin's Vessel |
While preparing our trip, we wanted to spend a few days relaxing and seeing Kenya prior to the wedding celebrations... (Yes, plural!!! Four in total, actually! And for the record, all were fabulous. More in a later post!). Coming from busy and stressful North American lives, we wanted to chill and get into the Kenyan groove....
So while reading through our guide books and the couple's wedding site, Lamu came up as a destination. With no cars and donkeys to travel on the island, this quaint and small island seemed to be the perfect undiscovered gem for us to start our trip...
The day after we arrived in Nairobi, we took a 12-passenger aircraft in direction of Lamu. I never flew in such a small plane and I was excited... Although once in the plane, I did get nervous while feeling every wind gust and sudden move the pilots made. But at the same time, I don't think I would have ever seen the fabulous views I did so high up in the sky... The plains, trees, settlements, cities, etc. were rolling under us...
Once arrived in Lamu, it was as charming and relaxing as we read. We stayed at JamboHouse, a super affordable hotel operated by Arnold. Once we had the chance to refresh ourselves, he welcomed us with a thirst-quenching glass of juice and informed us of the rules and must-dos of the island - foods at various places, beaches, cruises, etc. It was very nice that he took the time to explain it all...
Our days were mostly filled with trips to Shela beach, a quiet and undiscovered area on the southern part of the island. One day, while we were relaxing, we met a New Yorker on a weekend trip who spoke French! It is a small world...
Our last evening will forever be memorable! We went for a sunset cruise with a captain we met earlier during our stay and the view and experience was breathtaking. After our adrenaline-packed cruise, we had delicious crab, chips and a coconut shake. Yum yum....
In short, Lamu is a very relaxing and pole-pole place that helps you to unwind and enjoy life. And if you are 'game', can have many firsts - riding a donkey, driving or sailing a boat, being in a boat filled with too many people, speaking with people you never met, etc. All it takes is an open mind!
So while reading through our guide books and the couple's wedding site, Lamu came up as a destination. With no cars and donkeys to travel on the island, this quaint and small island seemed to be the perfect undiscovered gem for us to start our trip...
The day after we arrived in Nairobi, we took a 12-passenger aircraft in direction of Lamu. I never flew in such a small plane and I was excited... Although once in the plane, I did get nervous while feeling every wind gust and sudden move the pilots made. But at the same time, I don't think I would have ever seen the fabulous views I did so high up in the sky... The plains, trees, settlements, cities, etc. were rolling under us...
Once arrived in Lamu, it was as charming and relaxing as we read. We stayed at JamboHouse, a super affordable hotel operated by Arnold. Once we had the chance to refresh ourselves, he welcomed us with a thirst-quenching glass of juice and informed us of the rules and must-dos of the island - foods at various places, beaches, cruises, etc. It was very nice that he took the time to explain it all...
Our days were mostly filled with trips to Shela beach, a quiet and undiscovered area on the southern part of the island. One day, while we were relaxing, we met a New Yorker on a weekend trip who spoke French! It is a small world...
Our last evening will forever be memorable! We went for a sunset cruise with a captain we met earlier during our stay and the view and experience was breathtaking. After our adrenaline-packed cruise, we had delicious crab, chips and a coconut shake. Yum yum....
In short, Lamu is a very relaxing and pole-pole place that helps you to unwind and enjoy life. And if you are 'game', can have many firsts - riding a donkey, driving or sailing a boat, being in a boat filled with too many people, speaking with people you never met, etc. All it takes is an open mind!
Sunday, July 17, 2011
Kenya?!
One day in March, I received an interesting text from a good friend in Montreal. It said: "Call me when you have 5 minutes!" So I called her, thinking something had happened!
This particular friend of mine is excellent at sharing stories... So she set up her story and by the time she was done, asked me if I wanted to accompany her to our AIESEC/University friends' wedding....in Kenya!
Wow! What an offer! How many times does an opportunity like this come along, especially after you secretly asked to be part of such a great event?!
So after some thought (a tad with the mind but mainly with the gut!) and a 'test' trip to Cuba, we were embarking on our fabulous journey to Kenya....
This particular friend of mine is excellent at sharing stories... So she set up her story and by the time she was done, asked me if I wanted to accompany her to our AIESEC/University friends' wedding....in Kenya!
Wow! What an offer! How many times does an opportunity like this come along, especially after you secretly asked to be part of such a great event?!
So after some thought (a tad with the mind but mainly with the gut!) and a 'test' trip to Cuba, we were embarking on our fabulous journey to Kenya....
I Am Back!
Life. It is filled with ups, lefts, rights, downs and everything in between. And every moment teaches you something, provided you have an open mind and heart!
A long time ago, I started this blog for my fantabulous adventure in Indonesia and I have stopped sharing what I have experienced since... Not because I have not had any worthy things to share, but because of time and living life!
Well, good news, I am back....
I will share with you my latest adventures in the new cities I visited, new foods I tried, new things I experienced and so much more... Enjoy and feel free to share your experiences with me too!
A long time ago, I started this blog for my fantabulous adventure in Indonesia and I have stopped sharing what I have experienced since... Not because I have not had any worthy things to share, but because of time and living life!
Well, good news, I am back....
I will share with you my latest adventures in the new cities I visited, new foods I tried, new things I experienced and so much more... Enjoy and feel free to share your experiences with me too!
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